Sarah Beth Durst's Blog, page 47
April 9, 2013
Your Writing Process
Welcome to my new blog series! In these posts, I plan to share what I've learned about writing in hopes that it will be useful to anyone who shares this crazy writing dream. I'm calling this series: "Stuff I've Learned."
I know, I know, it's not the most original name. Kind of like naming your cat Fluffy... which I did. Twice. (In my defense, I was three years old when I named the first cat, and the second cat was named in the first one's honor.)
Anyway, to start things off... If I had to pick the one most important thing I've learned in the last six years as a writer, it would be: label your leftover pizza with the date you ordered it so that you don't accidentally eat too-old pizza.
Second to that, though, is: learn your own writing process.
Stuff I've Learned: Learn Your Writing Process
Before I was published, I had no idea about one of the coolest perks of being a writer: meeting other writers. At bookstore signings, conferences, conventions, festivals, library events... I've met a lot of authors, and I love, love, LOVE hearing about their writing processes.
Everyone's process is different. Some write a little every day; some binge-write for a few weeks then lie fallow. Some write in long stretches of time; some write in short bursts. Some outline; some don't. Some revise as they go along; some do lots of drafts. Some write at home; some write in cafes. Some write standing up. Some write nude... Okay, I haven't personally met anyone who writes nude but there are anecdotes.
Point is: what works for one person might not work for another. You have to find what works best for you and disregard the rest.
Once you do, I promise that it gets easier. Not easy. But easier. You can write faster and be more efficient because you know what works for you and what doesn't. You can do the latter and avoid the former.
I consider myself living proof of this. It took me two years each to write my first two novels, Into the Wild and Ice. The next few novels took one year a piece. Now I'm writing a novel every six months.
This change isn't due to having more time to write. (In fact, the opposite is true.) It's due to figuring out how I write a novel. Not how Joe or Sue or Fred writes a novel, but how I personally write a novel.
In future posts, I'll talk about (amongst other things!) what specifically works for me. And I'd love to hear about what works for you!
I know, I know, it's not the most original name. Kind of like naming your cat Fluffy... which I did. Twice. (In my defense, I was three years old when I named the first cat, and the second cat was named in the first one's honor.)
Anyway, to start things off... If I had to pick the one most important thing I've learned in the last six years as a writer, it would be: label your leftover pizza with the date you ordered it so that you don't accidentally eat too-old pizza.
Second to that, though, is: learn your own writing process.
Stuff I've Learned: Learn Your Writing Process
Before I was published, I had no idea about one of the coolest perks of being a writer: meeting other writers. At bookstore signings, conferences, conventions, festivals, library events... I've met a lot of authors, and I love, love, LOVE hearing about their writing processes.
Everyone's process is different. Some write a little every day; some binge-write for a few weeks then lie fallow. Some write in long stretches of time; some write in short bursts. Some outline; some don't. Some revise as they go along; some do lots of drafts. Some write at home; some write in cafes. Some write standing up. Some write nude... Okay, I haven't personally met anyone who writes nude but there are anecdotes.
Point is: what works for one person might not work for another. You have to find what works best for you and disregard the rest.
Once you do, I promise that it gets easier. Not easy. But easier. You can write faster and be more efficient because you know what works for you and what doesn't. You can do the latter and avoid the former.
I consider myself living proof of this. It took me two years each to write my first two novels, Into the Wild and Ice. The next few novels took one year a piece. Now I'm writing a novel every six months.
This change isn't due to having more time to write. (In fact, the opposite is true.) It's due to figuring out how I write a novel. Not how Joe or Sue or Fred writes a novel, but how I personally write a novel.
In future posts, I'll talk about (amongst other things!) what specifically works for me. And I'd love to hear about what works for you!
April 8, 2013
All Dreamers Welcome, Again
In September 2006, I started this blog with a post called All Dreamers Welcome. Welcome to my dream, I said. Please come share it with me.
THIS is my dream. (Imagine me waving my hands expansively at my desk, the manuscript next to me, the books behind me, the stone polar bear on my desk, the stacks of cryptic Post-Its, and the vampire Mickey Mouse.) All of this. Being a writer. It's what I've wanted to do since I was ten years old. Prior to that, I wanted to be Wonder Woman or a Unicorn Princess (either a human in charge of unicorns or an actual unicorn with a tiara).
When I wrote that first blog post, I wanted this blog to be a blog about the craft of writing. After all, it's what I do every day. It's what I think about, obsess over, even dream about (when I'm not dreaming about tiara-wearing unicorns, of course). But I felt self-conscious about it. After all, in 2006, my first book wasn't even out yet. Who was I to give writing advice to anyone?
Now, in 2013, I am doing what I've always wanted to do. I have six books out and am under contract for five more. And I feel that I've learned a lot over the past seven years. So I've decided that it's okay for me to talk about what I've learned. After all, I know there are a lot of people out there who share my dream. (The writing dream, I mean, not the unicorn princess dream.)
So I'd like to reintroduce this blog and re-welcome you to it. I plan to start a few different new blog series, including Stuff I've Learned, the Writer's Toolbox, and Reading About Writing. If you dream about being a writer (or a unicorn princess) or if you're just curious, I hope you'll join me.
As one of my favorite poets says:
“If you are a dreamer, come in,
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic-bean-buyer...
If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire
For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.
Come in!
Come in!”
-- Shel Silverstein, "Introduction" from Where the Sidewalk Ends
More to come.....
THIS is my dream. (Imagine me waving my hands expansively at my desk, the manuscript next to me, the books behind me, the stone polar bear on my desk, the stacks of cryptic Post-Its, and the vampire Mickey Mouse.) All of this. Being a writer. It's what I've wanted to do since I was ten years old. Prior to that, I wanted to be Wonder Woman or a Unicorn Princess (either a human in charge of unicorns or an actual unicorn with a tiara).
When I wrote that first blog post, I wanted this blog to be a blog about the craft of writing. After all, it's what I do every day. It's what I think about, obsess over, even dream about (when I'm not dreaming about tiara-wearing unicorns, of course). But I felt self-conscious about it. After all, in 2006, my first book wasn't even out yet. Who was I to give writing advice to anyone?
Now, in 2013, I am doing what I've always wanted to do. I have six books out and am under contract for five more. And I feel that I've learned a lot over the past seven years. So I've decided that it's okay for me to talk about what I've learned. After all, I know there are a lot of people out there who share my dream. (The writing dream, I mean, not the unicorn princess dream.)
So I'd like to reintroduce this blog and re-welcome you to it. I plan to start a few different new blog series, including Stuff I've Learned, the Writer's Toolbox, and Reading About Writing. If you dream about being a writer (or a unicorn princess) or if you're just curious, I hope you'll join me.
As one of my favorite poets says:
“If you are a dreamer, come in,
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic-bean-buyer...
If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire
For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.
Come in!
Come in!”
-- Shel Silverstein, "Introduction" from Where the Sidewalk Ends
More to come.....
March 19, 2013
NYC Teen Author Festival 2013
The NYC Teen Author Festival is this week!!! It includes 90+ YA authors, a variety of panels and readings, and a massive book signing at the end. I'm very, very excited!
Here's where you'll find me during the festival:
Friday March 22: New York Public Library (the one with the lions)
NYC Teen Author Festival Symposium
42nd Street NYPL, Berger Forum, 2nd floor
4:10-4:40: That's So Nineteenth Century: A Conversation About Playing with 19th Century Archetypes in the 21st Century
Sharon Cameron
Leanna Renee Hieber
Stephanie Strohm
Suzanne Weyn
Moderator: Sarah Beth Durst
4:40-5:30: Alternate World vs. Imaginary World: Of these authors, some have written stories involving alternate or parallel versions of our world, some have made up imaginary worlds for their characters, and still others have written books that do each. We'll discuss the decision to either connect the world of a book to our world, or to take it out of the historical context of our world. How do each strategies help in telling story and developing character? Is one easier than the other? Is the stepping off point always reality, or can it sometimes be another fictional world?
Sarah Beth Durst
Jeff Hirsch
Emmy Laybourne
Lauren Miller
E. C. Myers
Diana Peterfreund
Mary Thompson
Moderator: Chris Shoemaker
Sunday March 24: Books of Wonder
Our No-Foolin' Mega-Signing
18 West 18th Street, New York
1-1:45:
Jessica Brody (Unremembered, Macmillan)
Marisa Calin (Between You and Me, Bloomsbury)
Jen Calonita (The Grass is Always Greener, LB)
Sharon Cameron (The Dark Unwinding, Scholastic)
Caela Carter (Me, Him, Them, and It, Bloomsbury)
Crissa Chappell (Narc, Flux)
Susane Colasanti (Keep Holding On, Penguin)
Zoraida Cordova (The Vicious Deep, Sourcebooks)
Gina Damico (Scorch, HMH)
Jocelyn Davies (A Fractured Light, HC)
Sarah Beth Durst (Vessel, S&S) ---------------- me!!!
Gayle Forman (Just One Day, Penguin)
Elizabeth Scott (Miracle, S&S)
1:45-2:30
T. M. Goeglein (Cold Fury, Penguin)
Hilary Weisman Graham (Reunited, S&S)
Alissa Grosso (Ferocity Summer, Flux)
Aaron Hartzler (Rapture Practice, LB)
Deborah Heiligman (Intentions, RH)
Leanna Renee Hieber (The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart, Sourcebooks)
Jeff Hirsch (Magisterium, Scholastic)
J. J. Howard (That Time I Joined the Circus, Scholastic)
Alaya Johnson (The Summer Prince, Scholastic)
Beth Kephart (Small Damages, Penguin)
Kody Keplinger (A Midsummer's Nightmare, LB)
2:30-3:15
A.S. King (Ask the Passengers, LB)
Emmy Laybourne (Monument 14, Macmillan)
David Levithan (Every Day, RH)
Barry Lyga (Yesterday Again, Scholastic)
Brian Meehl (Suck it Up and Die, RH)
Alexandra Monir (Timekeeper, RH)
Michael Northrop (Rotten, Scholastic)
Diana Peterfreund (For Darkness Shows the Stars, HC)
Lindsay Ribar (The Art of Wishing, Penguin)
Rainbow Rowell (Eleanor & Park, St. Martin's)
Kimberly Sabatini (Touching the Surface, S&S)
Tiffany Schmidt (Send Me a Sign, Bloomsbury)
3:15-4:00
Victoria Schwab (The Archived, Hyperion)
Jeri Smith-Ready (Shine, S&S)
Amy Spalding (The Reece Malcolm List, Entangled)
Stephanie Strohm (Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink, HMH)
Nova Ren Suma (17 & Gone, Penguin)
Greg Takoudes (When We Wuz Famous, Macmillan)
Mary Thompson (Wuftoom, HMH)
Jess Verdi (My Life After Now, Sourcebooks)
K.M. Walton (Empty, S&S)
Suzanne Weyn (Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters, Scholastic)
Kathryn Williams (Pizza, Love, and Other Stuff That Made Me Famous, Macmillan)
For the full schedule of events, visit the NYC Teen Author Festival Facebook page.
Hope to see you there!
February 24, 2013
VESSEL is a Norton Finalist!
Last week, I was here:
And I got a phone call.
"Here" was the Bahamas, where I went on a big family gathering vacation. "Here" had sunshine, beaches, pools, and pina coladas. Also dolphins. (I HUGGED A DOLPHIN!!! THESE ARMS. HUGGED. A. DOLPHIN.) "Here" also had very spotty Internet access and very expensive international long distance rates.
We had tried and failed (twice) to buy a phone card that worked, but we discovered that we could use Skype to check our voicemail from our hotel room on certain evenings when the wind was blowing just right and the moon was aligned with Jupiter. We figured that was good enough. After all, we were in the same hotel as half the people who call us (his family) and the other half (my family) knew we were there.
Still, though, just in case, my husband did the traditional please-work-Wifi dance and called our answering machine... and there was a voicemail message. From Rachel Swirsky. Calling on behalf of SFWA, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. She left a phone number and no other details.
We knew the nomination process for SFWA's Andre Norton Award had closed a few days prior. And we knew that voting is scheduled to open in March. So we hoped. Crossed fingers. Maybe a few toes. Possibly did a dance for luck (just possibly -- I'm not admitting anything). And then I called. The conversation went something like this:
ME: Hi, this is Sarah Beth Durst, returning your call.
RACHEL: I'm sorry, but the phone connection isn't good. Who is this?
ME: Sarah Beth Durst. You called me earlier?
RACHEL: The phone keeps breaking up. I didn't catch your name. Who is this?
ME: Oh, sorry, it's my fault. I'm out of the country. It's not a very good connection. [insert nervous laugh] This is Sarah Beth Durst.
RACHEL: I'm sorry. I can't hear you. But I have your number on the caller-ID. I'll call you back.
[click]
ME: That won't work. This is a Skype... Oh, I think she's gone.
HUSBAND: What did she say? Are you a finalist?!?
ME (wailing): I DON'T KNOW!!!
We then concocted various plans for how to quickly obtain a phone card since calling directly from the hotel would cost the equivalent of all the cursed gold in the Pirates of the Caribbean. None of these plans were particularly feasible so we settled on the much-more-sensible option of emailing her. Which I did. And she wrote back almost instantly that.......
VESSEL is a finalist for the Andre Norton Award!!!!!!!! (Note: the superfluous exclamation points are mine.) She asked, "Do you accept the nomination?" And I wrote back the (hopefully) professional equivalent of YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As soon as the news was public, I sacrificed a few pineapples to the Wifi gods so I could tweet and update Facebook, which involved accidentally posting the same thing three or four times -- sorry, Facebook friends!
Twas quite an awesome week. Dolphin Hugging + Norton Nom = Very Happy Sarah!
Click here to see the full list of finalists. I feel so incredibly lucky and honored to be among such great company. Congratulations to all the awesome Norton and Nebula finalists! Looking forward to seeing you at Nebula Awards Weekend in May!
And I got a phone call.
"Here" was the Bahamas, where I went on a big family gathering vacation. "Here" had sunshine, beaches, pools, and pina coladas. Also dolphins. (I HUGGED A DOLPHIN!!! THESE ARMS. HUGGED. A. DOLPHIN.) "Here" also had very spotty Internet access and very expensive international long distance rates.
We had tried and failed (twice) to buy a phone card that worked, but we discovered that we could use Skype to check our voicemail from our hotel room on certain evenings when the wind was blowing just right and the moon was aligned with Jupiter. We figured that was good enough. After all, we were in the same hotel as half the people who call us (his family) and the other half (my family) knew we were there.
Still, though, just in case, my husband did the traditional please-work-Wifi dance and called our answering machine... and there was a voicemail message. From Rachel Swirsky. Calling on behalf of SFWA, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. She left a phone number and no other details.
We knew the nomination process for SFWA's Andre Norton Award had closed a few days prior. And we knew that voting is scheduled to open in March. So we hoped. Crossed fingers. Maybe a few toes. Possibly did a dance for luck (just possibly -- I'm not admitting anything). And then I called. The conversation went something like this:
ME: Hi, this is Sarah Beth Durst, returning your call.
RACHEL: I'm sorry, but the phone connection isn't good. Who is this?
ME: Sarah Beth Durst. You called me earlier?
RACHEL: The phone keeps breaking up. I didn't catch your name. Who is this?
ME: Oh, sorry, it's my fault. I'm out of the country. It's not a very good connection. [insert nervous laugh] This is Sarah Beth Durst.
RACHEL: I'm sorry. I can't hear you. But I have your number on the caller-ID. I'll call you back.
[click]
ME: That won't work. This is a Skype... Oh, I think she's gone.
HUSBAND: What did she say? Are you a finalist?!?
ME (wailing): I DON'T KNOW!!!
We then concocted various plans for how to quickly obtain a phone card since calling directly from the hotel would cost the equivalent of all the cursed gold in the Pirates of the Caribbean. None of these plans were particularly feasible so we settled on the much-more-sensible option of emailing her. Which I did. And she wrote back almost instantly that.......
VESSEL is a finalist for the Andre Norton Award!!!!!!!! (Note: the superfluous exclamation points are mine.) She asked, "Do you accept the nomination?" And I wrote back the (hopefully) professional equivalent of YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As soon as the news was public, I sacrificed a few pineapples to the Wifi gods so I could tweet and update Facebook, which involved accidentally posting the same thing three or four times -- sorry, Facebook friends!
Twas quite an awesome week. Dolphin Hugging + Norton Nom = Very Happy Sarah!
Click here to see the full list of finalists. I feel so incredibly lucky and honored to be among such great company. Congratulations to all the awesome Norton and Nebula finalists! Looking forward to seeing you at Nebula Awards Weekend in May!
February 14, 2013
CONJURED
I have news to share about my next YA book... It has a new title! And a release date! And a shiny, new ISBN number! I feel like a mother whose new baby has just taken her first steps. And then performed a pirouette while juggling a baton lit on fire!! Or maybe not that last part. But something like that. Anyway, without further ado...
The book formerly known as SWEET NOTHINGS is now... CONJURED. Set to come out on September 3, 2013 from Bloomsbury/Walker. ISBN# 978-0802734587.
I really love the new title. And I'm very excited to have an official pub date that I can start counting down to!
And that ISBN number! She's a beauty, yes?
Plus, there's already an Amazon page and a Barnes & Noble page, complete with new book descriptions.
From the Barnes & Noble page:
From the acclaimed author of Vessel and Ice, comes a mind-bending, haunting thriller that illustrates that who we are born does not dictate who we choose to become.
And from the Amazon page:
Eve has a new home, a new face, and a new name—but no memories of her past. She’s been told that she's in a witness protection program. That she escaped a dangerous magic-wielding serial killer who still hunts her. The only thing she knows for sure is that there is something horrifying in her memories the people hiding her want to access—and there is nothing they won’t say—or do—to her to get her to remember.
At night she dreams of a tattered carnival tent and buttons being sewn into her skin. But during the day, she shelves books at the local library, trying to not let anyone know that she can do things—things like change the color of her eyes or walk through walls. When she does use her strange powers, she blacks out and is drawn into terrifying visions, returning to find that days or weeks have passed—and she’s lost all short-term memories. Eve must find out who and what she really is before the killer finds her—but the truth may be more dangerous than anyone could have ever imagined.
Yay! It's such a rush when all this stuff starts coming together. A little over a year ago, this book was in my head. And then it was a file in my computer. And now there's an ISBN number. CONJURED will be my seventh book, so I've been down this road six times before, but I'm still just as excited and thrilled and terrified as I was the first time. And I love every bit of it.
So, what do you all think? Do you like the new title? Description? ISBN number?
The book formerly known as SWEET NOTHINGS is now... CONJURED. Set to come out on September 3, 2013 from Bloomsbury/Walker. ISBN# 978-0802734587.
I really love the new title. And I'm very excited to have an official pub date that I can start counting down to!
And that ISBN number! She's a beauty, yes?
Plus, there's already an Amazon page and a Barnes & Noble page, complete with new book descriptions.
From the Barnes & Noble page:
From the acclaimed author of Vessel and Ice, comes a mind-bending, haunting thriller that illustrates that who we are born does not dictate who we choose to become.
And from the Amazon page:
Eve has a new home, a new face, and a new name—but no memories of her past. She’s been told that she's in a witness protection program. That she escaped a dangerous magic-wielding serial killer who still hunts her. The only thing she knows for sure is that there is something horrifying in her memories the people hiding her want to access—and there is nothing they won’t say—or do—to her to get her to remember.
At night she dreams of a tattered carnival tent and buttons being sewn into her skin. But during the day, she shelves books at the local library, trying to not let anyone know that she can do things—things like change the color of her eyes or walk through walls. When she does use her strange powers, she blacks out and is drawn into terrifying visions, returning to find that days or weeks have passed—and she’s lost all short-term memories. Eve must find out who and what she really is before the killer finds her—but the truth may be more dangerous than anyone could have ever imagined.
Yay! It's such a rush when all this stuff starts coming together. A little over a year ago, this book was in my head. And then it was a file in my computer. And now there's an ISBN number. CONJURED will be my seventh book, so I've been down this road six times before, but I'm still just as excited and thrilled and terrified as I was the first time. And I love every bit of it.
So, what do you all think? Do you like the new title? Description? ISBN number?
February 11, 2013
Who Done It?
Not so long ago, I was invited to a party at an old pickle factory with 80+ other YA and children's book authors. It was hosted by the most cantankerous book editor ever: Herman Mildew. As grumpy as Cruella de Vil, as socially maladjusted as Voldemort, as fussy as Sauron, Herman was despised by all. And before the end of the party, he was dead.
We were asked to submit our alibis. Jon Scieszka collected them in an anthology, proceeds to benefit literary non-profit 826nyc. That anthology is out today from Soho Press: WHO DONE IT?
My alibi may or may not involve dragon's blood...
I hope you'll join me in wishing a fond farewell to Herman Melville and a very happy book birthday to WHO DONE IT?
Thank you, Soho Press, for inviting me to the party!
We were asked to submit our alibis. Jon Scieszka collected them in an anthology, proceeds to benefit literary non-profit 826nyc. That anthology is out today from Soho Press: WHO DONE IT?
My alibi may or may not involve dragon's blood...
I hope you'll join me in wishing a fond farewell to Herman Melville and a very happy book birthday to WHO DONE IT?
Thank you, Soho Press, for inviting me to the party!
January 27, 2013
What Writing Is Like
January 13, 2013
Mice in the Basement
Cleaned the basement last weekend.
I say that casually, but in reality, this was as massive a task as excavating King Tut's tomb, if King Tut's tomb were crammed with broken electronics, Styrofoam-filled boxes from defunct appliances, and the old window sashes that we replaced eight years ago but somehow couldn't bear to part with.
We discovered a few treasures, including some ancient mice:
Guess which one was mine.
I had that mouse in college, and I used it for writing a lot of plays, too much angsty poetry, and various papers on the awesomeness of Jane Austen.
Also in our cleaning spree, we discovered a Clapper.
No idea why or when such a device came into our lives, but I am contemplating hooking it up to a different appliance every day. Just to keep things interesting.
Cleaning out the basement was surprisingly empowering. After we finished, I felt like anything was possible. I am hoping to hold onto that feeling as I start my next writing project.
Actually, writing a book has a lot in common with cleaning a basement. It feels like an intimidatingly huge task when you start, but if you take it box by box, you (hopefully) discover some treasures hidden within the trash that are worth saving. You know, like a unicorn mouse and a Clapper. Because every story needs a unicorn mouse and a Clapper.
I say that casually, but in reality, this was as massive a task as excavating King Tut's tomb, if King Tut's tomb were crammed with broken electronics, Styrofoam-filled boxes from defunct appliances, and the old window sashes that we replaced eight years ago but somehow couldn't bear to part with.
We discovered a few treasures, including some ancient mice:
Guess which one was mine.
I had that mouse in college, and I used it for writing a lot of plays, too much angsty poetry, and various papers on the awesomeness of Jane Austen.
Also in our cleaning spree, we discovered a Clapper.
No idea why or when such a device came into our lives, but I am contemplating hooking it up to a different appliance every day. Just to keep things interesting.
Cleaning out the basement was surprisingly empowering. After we finished, I felt like anything was possible. I am hoping to hold onto that feeling as I start my next writing project.
Actually, writing a book has a lot in common with cleaning a basement. It feels like an intimidatingly huge task when you start, but if you take it box by box, you (hopefully) discover some treasures hidden within the trash that are worth saving. You know, like a unicorn mouse and a Clapper. Because every story needs a unicorn mouse and a Clapper.
January 3, 2013
Happy New Year 2013
Happy New Year, everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful New Year's and a great start to 2013.
A few years ago, my husband and I started a New Year's Eve tradition that I love: we buy a ton of hors d'oeuvres (frozen mozzerella sticks, chips and dip, potstickers, taquitoes, cheese and crackers, etc.) and we eat them all as the clock clicks toward midnight. Then we watch the ball drop on TV and clink the champagne glasses that we got as wedding presents and only ever use on New Year's Eve.
Of all the ways I've ever spent New Year's Eve, it's my favorite.
On New Year's Day, we watch the Rose Parade. Some years I remember to eat black-eyed peas for good luck. Usually I forget. We also forget to buy a new calendar for the kitchen every single year. That's practically a tradition now too.
This year, on New Year's Day, I had a lovely surprise. I woke to find out that VESSEL was named a finalist for a Cybils Award. This was a wonderful start to the new year. VESSEL also had a lovely end to the old year: Kirkus listed VESSEL as one of the Best Books of 2012. And YALSA's The Hub blog chose VESSEL's cover as one of the best covers of 2012. So, yay, yay, and yay!
I am really excited about this year. For the first time ever, I have two books coming out in the same year! My next YA novel, SWEET NOTHINGS (title may change), will be out from Walker/Bloomsbury in fall 2013. And my first novel for adults, THE LOST, will be out from Luna/Harlequin also in fall 2013. THE LOST is the first in a trilogy. I'll be posting more about both books on my website and blog in the coming months.
So... goodbye, 2012! And hello, 2013!
Wishing you heath and happiness (and lots of books) in the new year!
A few years ago, my husband and I started a New Year's Eve tradition that I love: we buy a ton of hors d'oeuvres (frozen mozzerella sticks, chips and dip, potstickers, taquitoes, cheese and crackers, etc.) and we eat them all as the clock clicks toward midnight. Then we watch the ball drop on TV and clink the champagne glasses that we got as wedding presents and only ever use on New Year's Eve.
Of all the ways I've ever spent New Year's Eve, it's my favorite.
On New Year's Day, we watch the Rose Parade. Some years I remember to eat black-eyed peas for good luck. Usually I forget. We also forget to buy a new calendar for the kitchen every single year. That's practically a tradition now too.
This year, on New Year's Day, I had a lovely surprise. I woke to find out that VESSEL was named a finalist for a Cybils Award. This was a wonderful start to the new year. VESSEL also had a lovely end to the old year: Kirkus listed VESSEL as one of the Best Books of 2012. And YALSA's The Hub blog chose VESSEL's cover as one of the best covers of 2012. So, yay, yay, and yay!
I am really excited about this year. For the first time ever, I have two books coming out in the same year! My next YA novel, SWEET NOTHINGS (title may change), will be out from Walker/Bloomsbury in fall 2013. And my first novel for adults, THE LOST, will be out from Luna/Harlequin also in fall 2013. THE LOST is the first in a trilogy. I'll be posting more about both books on my website and blog in the coming months.
So... goodbye, 2012! And hello, 2013!
Wishing you heath and happiness (and lots of books) in the new year!
October 9, 2012
Author Video for Vessel
A little while back I visited the NYC offices of Simon & Schuster to film an author video for Vessel. This is the fourth time I've done one of these videos and I'm always secretly afraid that I'll break under the pressure and start clucking like a chicken. But the S&S people in charge of filming and editing these author videos are wonderful and it looks like they once again managed to edit out any clucking that may have transpired.....
Anyway, without further ado, here it is! Please let me know what you think!
Anyway, without further ado, here it is! Please let me know what you think!
